Edward Gorey illustrates H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, 1960

Edward Gorey illustrates H. G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds, 1960 | Brain Pickings. Similar:SMS Generator SMS Generator.AmusingFantasticks (Theatre Factory, Oct 18-27)  AestheticsThis is what happened when a KDKA-TV journalist showed biasSocial media platforms are full of peopl…CulturePredatory Journals Hit By 'Star Wars' StingI’ve been contacted by editors who would…AcademiaHuge Collection of Free CC-Licensed…

Chillax, Wikipedia, and bridezilla are not puns: Against adjoinages

So if recessionista and fembot are not really puns, what are they? They’re neolexic portmanteaus, in which root words are brutally slammed together with cavalier lack of wit. “Neolexic portmanteau” is a mouthful, so instead we shall choose a simpler handle. Sherry-manteau, catastrounity, misceg-formation, piss-poortmanteau, and poor-man’s-toes all proffer themselves as alternatives, but they are…

Academy of Interactive Arts & Science — D.I.C.E. Summit Awards

Gaming ledends Dave Lebling and Mark Blank honored for their pioneering work in text-adventure games, at Infocom. (Clips from Jason Scott’s GET LAMP documentary follow Dave Lebling’s introduction, around 1:35 or so. Welcome to the Official D.I.C.E. Summit Website. Similar:No space for over-30s as relaunched MySpace erases its pastKeep a local backup of anything importan…BusinessThe…

Video games ‘teach dyslexic children to read’

Playing games which require children to follow fast-moving events, track moving objects and pay attention to all areas of the screen teaches them to draw meaning from written words, researchers explained. Dr Andrea Facoetti of the University of Padua in Italy, who led the study, said: “Action video games enhance many aspects of visual attention,…

The Joy of Text – Page 4 of 4

I’d like this article better if it weren’t divided up into four ad-generating chunks, but here’s the payoff: It’s not all about colossal caves and twisty little passages any more. Here are a few IF highlights that show off how varied the genre can be, from card-based trips to the ‘Neath to hunts for lost…

Alas for You (Godspell, Stage Right)

Three weeks ago tonight, I got an email from the director saying he thought he could use me in the cast. A whirlwind of rehearsals, a week of run-throughs, three performances, and we’re done. Wow! The first act of Godspell is almost entirely fun and games, but the second act quickly moves through the confrontation…

McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: Banned Performance Enhancing Substances in Literary Competitions.

PROUSTZAC Enhances and enriches remembrance of things past. Can lead to increased carbohydrate consumption. McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: Banned Performance Enhancing Substances in Literary Competitions.. Similar:Dead metaphor alert, as far as the Associated Press is concernedOther signs of the digital age: we don’t…BooksNew data on the first three jobs held by graduates of six popular majors“There…

Len Deighton’s Bomber, the first book ever written on a word processor.

The talented and insightful scholar Matt Kirschenbaum tells a wonderful story. Deighton stood outside his Georgian terrace home and watched as workers removed a window so that a 200-pound unit could be hoisted inside with a crane. The machine was IBM’s MTST (Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter), sold in the European market as the MT72. “Standing in…

I don’t usually post animal videos on my blog…

But when I do, it’s because they are this adorable. Saving this for the next time my daughter is crabby and needs some comfort. Similar:Obama vs. Romney D&D Smack-Down at NYC GalleryThis week, if you head to the Allegra La…AestheticsBrother Stuck in the BathroomThe girl posted this story on Instagram …Amusing"Dammit Mom, I'm a daughter,…

Gerald Green Incorporates Christopher Marlowe’s ‘Doctor Faustus’ Into Slam Dunk | The Onion – America’s Finest News Source

While competing in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest Saturday, contestant Gerald Green reportedly incorporated characters, dialogue, and set design from 16th-century English playwright Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus into his elaborately choreographed dunk routine. “Lo, Mephistophilis, for love of thee/Faustus hath cut his arm, and with his…